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Start page > Maritime archaeology > Research and collaboration > The Lost Navy – Diving Deep into an Unwritten Maritime History
Photo: Minna Koivikko.

Tero Tankka (left) and Maija Huttunen (right) pick up samples. Photo: Minna Koivikko.

The Lost Navy – Diving Deep into an Unwritten Maritime History

The research program "The Lost Navy. Sweden’s “Blue” Heritage circa 1450–1850" maps, documents and researches the Swedish navy. 

In the depths of the Baltic lies a large number of unique wrecks of early modern naval ships. Some have been sunk in battle or by accident, but many have been deliberately scuttled around ports or used as filling material in quays.

The research program The Lost Navy maps, documents and researches the Swedish navy of circa 1450–1850. During this period, the Swedish navy consisted of sailing ships. There is information on around 785 ships, but only a few of these have been archaeologically examined and documented. For centuries, these naval vessels were a central part of the Swedish maritime history – a part which is largely still unwritten.

The vessels are identified and researched with maritime archaeological and other methods using both written sources and archaeological finds.

More about the research programme. 

Collaboration between CEMAS and SMTM

The program will run 2021–2026 and is a collaboration between the Centre for Maritime Studies at Stockholm University, the Swedish National Maritime and Transport Museums and the Finnish Heritage Agency.

The programme is funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. 

Centre for Maritime Studies, Stockholm University

Swedish National Maritime and Transport Museums

Finnish Heritage Agency.

Riksbankens Jubileumsfond 

Eleven subprojects

The research programme consists of eleven subprojects, one has not yet begun. Find more information about each subproject through the links below.

Contact

For information or questions regarding the research programme, please contact:

Leos Müller, research leader, CEMAS, Stockholm University
E-mail: Leos.muller@historia.su.se
About Leos Müller

Anna Arnberg, coordinator, The Swedish National Maritime and Transport Museums
E-mail: Anna.arnberg@smtm.se

Elin Heppling, assistent
E-mail: Elin.heppling@historia.su.se

Regarding the subprojects

Please contact the project leader. Their contact information can be found on each subproject's webpage. 

Other participating researchers

Jim Hansson, Patrik Höglund, Mikael Fredholm and Håkan Altrock, maritime archaeologists, The National Maritime and Transport Museums

Anna Maria Forssberg, Fredrik Kämpe and Andreas Linderoth, historians, The National Maritime and Transport Museums

Mirja Arnshav, archaeologist, The National Maritime and Transport Museums

Ingvar Sjöblom, historian, Department of History, Stockholm University

Niklas Eriksson, archaeologist, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University

Simon Ekström, ethnologist, Department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies, Stockholm University

Minna Koivikko, maritime archaeologist, Finnish Heritage Agency

Subprojects

The Atlas Module

The Atlas module of the program investigates and maps all major vessels of the Swedish navy circa 1450–1850. What happened after the ships were no longer used in the navy? Where and how were they discarded? The module creates the basis for large part of the remaining program.

Seamen, Soldiers, Wifes and Everyday Life

Recent research has shown that the household was vital for the organization of work in early modern Sweden. This subproject aims to study the work conditions for ordinary seamen and the role played by the household in the navy.

The Lost Navy beyond the Skagerrak

Many Swedish-flagged vessels of the "Lost Navy” were employed outside the Baltic, mainly as convoy vessels. Others were sold to private shipowners and used in long-distance shipping. The history of these “lost” naval ships is one of the least studied issues in Sweden’s naval history. This subproject studies two aspects of the presence of Swedish naval vessels outside the Baltic.

The Lost Navy in Transformation

Naval warfare changed in multiple ways during the late middle ages and the Reformation, in ways which affected society at large and, ultimately, the rise of the modern state. What might biographies of individual warships tell about how this transformation happened? In this subproject, the transformation of naval warfare in the Baltic is examined.

The History of Swedish Naval Architecture

The Swedish standing navy relied to a high degree on foreign knowledge and competence. The well-preserved shipwrecks thus represent technical and architectonical influences from various corners of Europe. This makes the archaeology of Swedish warships – such as in this subproject – unique.

Wrecked, Sunk, Discarded or Broken up?

A large number or wrecks of warships from the period 1620–¬1840 can be found near naval bases such as Karlskrona and Stockholm. A few of these are examined more closely in this multidisciplinary subproject.

Historical Guns

Retrieved cannons have often attracted a significant interest. They might help to identify a ship, provide knowledge of naval equipment and tactics, and be part of military collections highlighting the nations’ glorious past. Some of these cannons are the focus of this study.

The Last Phase in the Ship's Life-cycle?

Museums are places where history might be formed, forgotten or highlighted. What do museums want their visitors remember – and forget – about the Swedish navy and its history? This subproject studies how the sailing Swedish navy has been described and presented in and around exhibitions.

The End of Glory Days?

Suomenlinna in the harbor of Helsinki was a dockyard and one of the home ports of the navy until 1808. During the Russo-Swedish War (1808–1809) approximately 100 different vessels were handed over to the Russians. These vessels are the main focus of this subproject.

Black Oak, Blue Heritage

In Sweden, the waterlogged, dark/blackish oakwood which in English is referred to as bog oak is usually derived from old warships. What aspects pf Swedish naval history have been promoted through the salvage and reuse of this wreck wood? How has the fragmentation of the wood from the wrecks affected the awareness of the ships’ history and the assessment of the wreck sites? This subproject aims to explore the cultural history and materiality of waterlogged oak.
Page last updated: 2021-10-12